


Disco Date

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-10
Updated: 2016-08-10
Packaged: 2018-08-07 20:41:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7729000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jasper goes on that date with the Baroness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Disco Date

Jasper waited at the entrance to Fort Pinta. He straightened his bowtie again and made sure that the flowers in his hand still looked and smelled pretty. That James chap had said that these ridiculously overpriced dandelions would be sure to impress his date. They didn’t look too special to him, but maybe things were different these days.

A girl rode towards him across the irresponsibly narrow bridge.

“Give her these,” she said, and continued on, slowing only to put a bunch of flowers in his hand.

“What? Kids these days,” Jasper grumbled. But he had to admit that the bouquet of flowers gathered from the fields looked and smelled a lot better than the dandelions. Jasper tossed the dandelions off the bridge and resumed his prior position. His palms were beginning to sweat, and his heart felt like he’d just run a mile. But he was just waiting for a dame.

But this dame wasn’t just any dame. She was famous, the Baroness of Silverglade. She had her own castle, for heaven’s sake, not to mention a manor and hundreds of acres of land. Not that Jasper was in it for the land, of course, or the money. He was content just to farm pumpkins. Unlike everyone else who had ever attempted to woo the Baroness, all Jasper wanted was a chance to date the woman of his dreams.

At last, a sleek black limousine pulled up and remained idling just before the bridge. Jasper hid a smirk, easily able to imagine Godfrey’s protests- the butler wouldn’t dare risk his car on such a narrow stretch of bridge. So instead, Jasper walked across the bridge and opened the car door for his date.

“Good evening, my lady,” said Jasper, executing a little bow. The Baroness smiled at him and took his offered hand. As she stepped out of the limousine, her skirts swirled around her feet and Jasper caught a glimpse of sensible deep purple flats.

“Good evening, Jasper,” said the Baroness. “I apologise for not meeting you at the gates, Godfrey refused to drive over the bridge.”

“The bridge is quite dangerous,” said Jasper. “I’ve even seen some riders fall off it sometimes. Miraculously, though, they manage to get back up and keep going.”

“Yes, this land is full of miracles,” said the Baroness. “Just look at us, dressed to the nines but about to spend a night at the disco.”

“We shall show those young ones how to really cut loose on the dancefloor,” said Jasper. He took her by the hand and walked with her across the bridge, somehow able to both fit on there comfortably.

“It has been far too long since I’ve ben here,” said the Baroness. “I may be a Baroness, but that does not mean that I cannot walk among the common folk.”

“Yes, and date a humble farmer,” said Jasper. “Ah, here, I almost forgot.” He presented her the bouquet of flowers. “These are for you.”

“Why thank you, Jasper,” said the Baroness, taking the flowers and smelling them. “These smell divine and look lovely.”

“Just like my date,” said Jasper, and smiled warmly as her cheeks took on a touch of crimson.

“You do know how to flatter a woman, Mr Holbrooke,” said the Baroness. “Shall we eat before we dance?”

“Oh, I don’t know if I could possibly keep anything down,” said Jasper, chuckling. “I haven’t been on a date for far too long and I have to confess that I’m nervous.”

“I am too,” said the Baroness. “I have never been on a date at an establishment that wasn’t high-class.”

“Well, you’ve at least dressed the part,” said Jasper. “You’ve let your hair down and everything.”

“Yes, and you have put on a suit,” said the Baroness.

“Now I feel overdressed, looking at the young people,” said Jasper. “Still, I guess it’s better than wearing overalls.”

“That it is,” said the Baroness with a little laugh. “You look quite dashing. But if we want to keep things casual, you should probably know my name.”

“I’m honoured,” said Jasper. The Baroness smiled at him.

“Agnes,” said the Baroness. “My first name is Agnes.”

“Such a pretty name for a pretty lady,” said Jasper. “Shall we dance?”

“Yes, let’s,” said Agnes, nodding, and allowed her date to lead her out onto the flashing, multi-coloured dancefloor.

The music was loud, and the dancefloor was filled with young girls dancing either together in groups or alone. Agnes could feel the bass thumping through her bones, the sensation quite strange. This was nothing like the ballrooms of her youth, not even one of the rowdier parties. This was…

There was pure energy on this dancefloor. Agnes felt it in the air, in the movements of the other dancers, in the flashing lights and the pulsing beat of the music. She copied the movements of the other dancers as much as she was able, even picking up on some of Jasper’s moves. They twirled around the dancefloor, eyes alight with a youth gone but not forgotten, and Agnes’ hair and skirts swirled out behind her on that wave of energy. Agnes still held her bouquet in one hand while the other occasionally caught with Jasper’s when he pulled her close to dance.

For the first time in ages, Agnes could feel herself smiling. And grinning. Even laughing as Jasper spun her around and dipped her as low as he was able. It was a crazy mish-mash of the disco dancing and a traditional waltz. She never wanted it to end.

So it was with great reluctance that Agnes pulled herself away from the dancefloor to take a seat at the café. Jasper ordered each of them a glass of water, but Agnes also ordered a Jor-Cola for herself. The bubbles tickled her tongue in a way that not much had in a while.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” asked Jasper.

“Oh, absolutely,” said Agnes, a broad grin stretching across her face. “I haven’t had this much fun in years.” She felt like a sprightly young woman again, without children or an evil ex-husband. Just a woman with her whole life ahead of her and a handsome and kind gentleman sitting across from her.

“I feel the same way,” said Jasper. “Honestly, I was worried about breaking a hip or something, but I haven’t even thought about that all night.”

“You move quite well for a man your age,” said Agnes.

“Heh, well, I’ll probably be feeling it tomorrow,” said Jasper. They both laughed at that.

“Hopefully the pain won’t dissuade you from a repeat performance,” said Agnes. “It is just a pity that we can’t walk all the way home.”

“Well, I walked all the way here,” said Jasper. “From my old farm, anyway.” He rubbed a hand through his hair.

“Oh my,” said Agnes. “I will have Godfrey take you home.”

“It’s fine, really,” said Jasper. “I can stay the night at the farm or my son-in-law will give me a place to stay.”

“No no, I insist,” said Agnes. She smiled. “Besides, I want to go to sleep knowing that my date is only a few metres away.”

“Oh? Heh heh, well then,” said Jasper, and smoothed down his dress shirt. “If my lady insists…”

“I do,” said Agnes. “If it weren’t so improper, I would invite you to stay in the manor.”

“I-I couldn’t,” said Jasper, and the way his cheeks coloured was just so charming that Agnes had to giggle.

“Oh, Mr Holbrooke, you are acting like one of the girls who always hang around the manor,” said Agnes. “All blushing and shy.”

“Mr Holbrooke is my father,” said Jasper with a wink, and Agnes giggled.

“Look at us,” said Agnes, gesturing to their table and the two of them. “Sitting at a café outside a disco. We are acting like teenagers or young adults, not grandparents.”

“Love can make us young,” said Jasper. He held up his water glass, and Agnes clinked it with her glass of cola. “To love.”

“To love,” said Agnes, and they drank to it.


End file.
